Toxic barium

Barium metal and most barium compounds are highly poisonous. A notable exception is barium sulfate which is nontoxic because of its extreme iasolubihty ia water. Barium ion acts as a muscle stimulant and can cause death through ventricular fibrillation of the heart. Therefore, care must be taken to avoid contact with open areas of the skin. Workers must wear respirators (of type approved for toxic airborne particles), goggles, gloves, and protective clothing at all times. The toxic barium aluminate residue obtained from barium production is detoxified by reaction with a solution of ferrous sulfate and converted iato nontoxic barium sulfate. According to OSHA standards, the TWA value for Ba and Ba compounds ia air is 0.5 mg/m. ... 

All barium salts, especially the water and acid-soluble compounds, are highly toxic. Barium ion can cause death through ventricular fibrillation of the heart. It is a stimulant to the heart muscle. Intake of a few grams of barium salt can be lethal to humans. The insoluble salts such as barium sulfate, however, have little toxic action. 

Strontium, Barium Strontium was discovered near, and named after, the small town of Strontian, Scotland, in 1787. There are no commercial uses for the pure metal, but the carbonate salt, SrC03, is used in the manufacture of glass for color TV picture tubes. Barium is found principally in the minerals witherite (BaC03) and barite (BaSC ), after which it is named. Though water-soluble salts of barium are extremely toxic, barium sulfate is so insoluble that it is used in medicine as a contrast medium for stomach and intestinal X rays. Like strontium, barium metal has no commercial uses, but various compounds are used in glass manufacture and in drilling oil wells. 

Listings as toxic waste Maximum concentration of contaminants for characteristic of EP toxicity (barium)... 

One such experiment that was changed involved the determination of a formula of a hydrate salt (27). The original experiment utilized toxic barium chloride dihydrate, Bunsen burners, and disposal of the dehydrated salt at the... 

Many salts of ternary acids are used in medicine. Lithium carbonate, Li2C03, has been used successfully to combat severe jet lag. Lithium carbonate is also useful in the treatment of mania, depression, alcoholism, and schizophrenia. Magnesium sulfate, MgS04, sometimes helps to prevent convulsions during pregnancy and to reduce the solubihty of toxic barium sulfate in internally administered preparations consumed before gastrointestinal X-ray films are taken. 

Barium sulfate is the insoluble substance taken orally before stomach X-rays are made because the barium atoms absorb X-rays well. Even though barium ions are quite toxic, barium sulfate can still be taken orally without danger. The compound is so insoluble that it passes through the digestive system essentially unchanged. 

The common ion effect also plays a role in the use of BaS04 when X rays of the digestive system are taken. The low solubility of BaS04 helps ensure that the amount of the toxic barium ion absorbed into patients system is small enough to be harmless. The procedure is further safeguarded by the addition of sodium sulfate (Na2S04), a soluble ionic compound that provides a common ion, S04 . ... 

Because barium sulfate is opaque to X rays, it is suspended in water and taken internally to make the gastrointestinal tract visible in an X-ray photograph. Although barium ion is quite toxic, barium suUate s of 1.1 x 10 gives it such low solubility that it can be safely consumed. 

The colon shows up after the patient has ingested an aqueous suspension of barium sulfate, which is opaque to x-rays. Even though free barium ion is toxic, barium sulfate is harmless because it is so insoluble. (Color enhanced by computer for contrast.)... 

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